The Artists of The Walls

Eight local professional and amateur artists were chosen for our October installation. Each artist chose the content of their piece, and created incredible 8’x8’ murals. Read below for more information about the artists and their pieces.

Billy Hensler, “Tiger”

I grew up with an immense interest in art, as well a love and natural curiosity toward nature. As a student, I was constantly reprimanded for drawing in the back of the classroom instead of doing my math problems.

Sometime in June of 1991, I created a company that brought the art I so often got in trouble for as a youth into patron's homes in the form of custom painted murals and painted finishes.

During this period, I have realized just how much I love to create art that invokes the spirit of, I believe where we all come from. And that is the spirit of nature and wildness. Whether looking at the textures and colors of a rock on the trail I am hiking or the way light creates lace-like patterns through a grove of trees, I seek to capture this essence in my work. There is so much inspiration around us in the word, I oftentimes feel there simply isn't enough time to observe, capture, portray or experience it all. As many styles and genres of art there are, what truly captivates me the most is wildlife. To depict a red fox's luxuriant coat against a winter snow or the grace of an massive bull elk navigating gracefully through a thicket of timbers brings much joy to my spirit.

Cara Jean Means, “Stout Heart”

Cara Jean Means enjoys engaging with people. Her desire to celebrate and understand human experience is reflected in her narrative portraiture while her interests in civic engagement and storytelling are reflected in her public art. She spent the first 15 years of her adult life raising a family then received her BA from the University of Houston. She resides in Salt Lake City where she works for KRCL public radio and continues her work as a public and studio artist.

Description of the art: My father was the most courageous person that I know. He had an appetite for adventure and zero sensitivity to embarrassment, which is an opportune combination. He designed and built his own boats and kayaks which were ugly as sin but successful vehicles for adventuring and making memories. He has been an inspiration for my own creative endeavors and has pulled me through periods when I'm stuck in the bogs of insecurity. "Stout Heart" is part of a series of mixed media paintings that represent blueprints for envisioning a better future for ourselves and/or our communities.

Hayley Barry, “Be Kind”

Hayley Barry is a hand-lettering artist and sign painter from Provo Utah. She loves all things antique or vintage and love to work with her hands. The preservation of traditional craft is especially important to Hayley, which is why she chooses to do most of her work in traditional mediums. She has painted signs and murals all across Utah (and one in Florida!) and looks forward to all the fun projects to come.

Korra Cottle

Korra Cottle is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator who strives to create compelling messages. Korra believes that great art comes from great communication. Korra has worked as a professional designer and illustrator for over 5 years. Korra is in the process of receiving her degree in Graphic Design at Utah Valley University. She loves hiking, camping, running, and her Bernese Mountain Dog. www.bonfiregraphicdesign.com and @bonfiregraphicdesign for commissions.

When I was coming up for ideas for this piece, I wanted to create something that embodied the feeling nature gives one when they decide to take a break from life in the valley and get up to the mountains. This piece captures the moment of breath when one is breathing in the air around them and is about to breathe out the worry, pain, anxiety, and other negative emotions. It's essentially what I need as I am writing this haha. I hope it conveys that emotion and is a place for the eye to rest while one is looking at it from the street.

Markus Long, “Choose Happy”

Markus Long is a northern California-born lettering artist, graphic designer, and product designer raised in the San Joaquin Valley and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He's now based in Highland, Utah.

By day, Markus works as a print and digital graphic artist, product designer, and marketer for ThermoWorks, a thermometer company who provides home chef's, backyard grillers, competitive BBQ'ers, professional chef's and commercial kitchens with the best temperature tools on the market.

The idea behind this particular piece comes from the saying we have with our kids to help them look for the good and positive parts of any situation or experience. In as much as it is possible, we encourage each other to choose to be happy and dwell on that rather than the alternative. I wanted to paint this message in hopes to remind others to do the same. The close-fitting, curvy, script lettering style with vibrant colors help bring the message off the wall toward the viewer.

Reid Robison, “No Mistakes, Just Happy Little Accidents”

Dr. Reid Robison was born in Chicago, but grew up in Toronto, Canada. He completed undergraduate studies in Neuroscience at Brigham Young University, studied anatomy at Cambridge, and then went on to medical school at the University of Utah where he obtained both his MD and MBA degrees simultaneously.

After residency training in Psychiatry at the University of Utah, Dr. Robison went on to complete fellowship training in Genetics. He started his own genetics company, where he still plays an active role on the board, and continues to share his vision for personalized medicine whenever he gets the chance. Dr. Robison has also been active in humanitarian pursuits and was part of the University of Utah’s Global Health Initiative where he made medical trips to post-quake Haiti, refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, and rural Ghana. He also founded the Polizzi Clinic, a free mental health clinic based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Robison has served as Medical Director of Psychiatry at Intermountain Medical Center, Intermountain’s flagship hospital, providing psych consults to the ER and medical floors, and more recently worked in inpatient psychiatry at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, UT.

Dr. Robison is a firm believer that inside every person, no matter where they are in their journey, is an inextinguishable light, with the capability for a full human life. Dr. Robison says, “Not all wounds are visible, and everyone has their unique struggle. Pain is real…but so is hope.”

Ryan Worwood, “Iron Man”

Sierra Cottle, “The Kiss”

Sierra Cottle is an artist from Highland Utah. She is a senior at Lone Peak High School and is headed towards a career in graphic design and illustration. Sierra has been practicing art ever since she was little, and loves creating new pieces. In her free time she likes to read, paint, be outdoors, travel, and sleep. Her favorite mediums to work in are watercolor, acrylic, digital and pen.

Contact her for commissions: sjjcottle@gmail.com or say Hi on her Instagram @november_artist